Jaymon was on life support for over two weeks at Brisbane’s Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital after a blood clot was found in his right thigh and his lungs collapsed.

The youngster has also contracted pneumonia, bacteria in his blood and a bone infection, said his mother Tasha Millar.

At least 288 flu-related deaths have been reported this year, and the number is thought to be even higher. A record-breaking 172,247 cases have been confirmed by the Department of Health in 2017: 86,567 in NSW; 44,866 in Queensland; 17,326 in South Australia; 13,654 in Victoria; 3656 in Western Australia; 2707 in Tasmania; 2352 in the Australian Capital Territory and 1119 in the Northern Territory.

That’s a 156 per cent increase on the number reported by this time last year, according to Immunisation Coalition statistics. And the health service believes the number is even higher, with a delay in reporting thanks to administrative backlogs as officials struggle to handle the spike.